1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer networks, and more particularly to a system and method for globally accessing computer services.
2. Description of the Background Art
The internet currently interconnects about 100,000 computer networks and several million computers. Each of these computers stores numerous application programs for providing numerous services, such as generating, sending and receiving e-mail, accessing World Wide Web sites, generating and receiving facsimile documents, storing and retrieving data, etc.
A roaming user, i.e., a user who travels and accesses a workstation remotely, is faced with several problems. Program designers have developed communication techniques for enabling the roaming user to establish a communications link and to download needed information and needed service application programs from the remote workstation to a local computer. Using these techniques, the roaming user can manipulate the data on the remote workstation and, when finished, can upload the manipulated data back from the remote workstation to the local computer. However, slow computers and slow communication channels make downloading large files and programs a time-consuming process. Further, downloading files and programs across insecure channels severely threatens the integrity and confidentiality of the downloaded data.
The roaming user alternatively can carry a copy of all potentially needed information and all potentially needed application programs. However, maintaining a true copy of a database is a cumbersome process which often results in a data inconsistency problem. Therefore, a system and method are needed to enable multiple users to access computer services remotely without consuming excessive time, without severely threatening the integrity and confidentiality of the data, and without compromising data consistency.